Adjustable ottoman



June 10, 1958 c. FUERST 2,838,098

ADJUSTABLE OTTOMAN Filed April 11, 1957 FIG. 2 4

C 20 j 2 12 g I 52 2 M 48 a 19 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS maybe i used.

2,838,098 ADJUSTABLE OTTOMAN @ai'lFuerst, ,BrlonmN. 'YQ, assignor to 'Gleitsmans Inc.,

"liong'lsland City, jNsYi, a corporation of New York Application April 11,1957, serial zNo. 652,214 ,2 Claims. or. 155-169 The'present'inventibnrelates, in general, to ottomans, ,and in particular to ottomans having adjustable seat inim e H fOttojma'ns of the generaltype to which the present inv'entionIblaptes are disclosed in.the copending applicationsbfjHardld Gleitsman and Carl Fuerst, Serial Number 591,228, filed June 13, .1956 and Serial Number $36,646 filed January 28, 1957, in the copending application ofjCarljFuerst, Serial Number 646,039 filed March 114, 1957, and in,the copending application of Harold l le'itsman, jSerial'Number 646,040 filed March 14, 1957, all jof'which are assigned to the assignee hereof.

,An object of thepresent invention is the provision of an Ottoman of the backless seat or bench type which-has arelativejlysimple and 'efficient device for adjusting the ,t'iltable seat to different tilted positions thereof.

Another object is the provision, of a relatively inexpensive and simple device which will' convert any conventionalc'hair orseat into aposture chair and which will not interfere with the decor or decorative scheme of furniture used in the ,particular room in which said device A furtherrobject 1s the provisionof a highly novel ba'ckless seat of the bench type which-can function either fasglan fottomanor for converting a conventional chair into a posture chair.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood frornjthe' following description considered in connection with" the accompanyingillustrative drawings.

In the drawings whichillustrate thebestmode presently contemplated .of carryingout the invention:

Fig. 1 is aperspec'tive view of a posture chair or seat formed by. the ottoman of the present invention in association with. a conventional chair;

Fig.2 is a side viewo'f the ottoman with the seat of in its lowered or closed disposition;

Fig. 3 is ,a plan view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

'Fig. 4 .isa sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken thereonthe line '44 of Fig. 2 and illustrates the seat in a raised. or tilted 'dispo'sitionthereof;

Fig. 5 is afragmentary sectional view ,taken 'on the Iin Fig. 4;

-'Fig.'6 is a view'similar to; Fig. 2 and illustrates a'modification; v IfEig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scalehtaken .on the line 7--'7 of Fig. 6, with parts broken away for purposes of illustration;

= Fig.8 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 8- 8 of ,Fig. 6, with the seat being illustrated in a;raise' d or tilted disposition thereof;

" ig. 9 :is a fragmentary view-similar to Figs. 2 and 6 andiillustrates an additional modification; and

'lFig. 10 is asectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on thelines 10-410 of Figf9.

atent O .of a bench or bacjkless seat. More specifically, the ,seat ,10 has an open framework base constituted by a pair of interconnected 'U-shaped tubular frame or end members 112 .andj14. Each U-shaped member is provided with the opposing legs 16-and 18 which are interconnected by a handle-defining cross-piece 20. The paired legs 16-1'6 constitute the front'legs of the bench 10 and the paired legs 18-'18 constitute the rear legs thereof. Each legis provided with a cup 22 of rubber or other non-skid material.

The rear .legs 18 are interconnected by the tubular rods, crossmembers or struts 24 and 26 suitably secured thereto. The opposite ends of the lower strut .24 are flattened, as at 32 as'best.shown inFig. 5, and .are forcefit into complementary slots 28 defined adjacent thelower ends of thelegs 18. It will be understood that the opposite ends of the upperstrut 26 are similarly flattened and fforce-fit into similar .slots defined adjacent the upper ends of the legs 18. The front legs .16 are interconnected by the tubularrod,cross member or strut 34, the

opposite ends of the latter being secured in the legs '16 in the same manner as described for the securement of the rods 24 and 26 to the rear legs 18.

Provision is made fora bench top or seat and foot rest 36 which maybe provided with suitable padding material and which maybe upholstered in suitable fabrics or plasticmaterial. Pursuant to an important feature of the presentinvention, the bench top or seat 36 may be locked in various tilted or oblique positions thereof in a highly novel manner. 'In this connection, the seat 36 is mounted for pivotal movement by the front strut .or

rod 34, between the "legs 16-46, provision being made for apair of laterally spaced brackets 3838 secured to the lower surface 42 of the seat, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The rod '34 is secured by said brackets to the seat with the brackets 38 rotatable relative to the rod 34 so that the seat member 36 may be pivoted about the rod 34. The seat 36 is also provided at its undersurface 42 and adjacent the side thereof opposite the side adjacent to which the 'brackets38 are secured, with an additional pair of laterally spaced brackets 44-44. The brackets 44 pivotally mount a rigid brace or retaining assembly 46 which is utilized to releasably retain theseat member 36 in a plurality of different adjusted tilted positions thereof.

The assembly 46 is constituted by apair of opposing vertically extending elements 4848 which are interconnected by the vertically spaced cross members 50. The upper ends 5252 of the vertical elements 48 are inwardly directed relative to the assembly 46,,said ends being in confronting relation. Said end portions 52 are mounted for rotary movement in the associated brackets 44 and constitute the pivots for the assembly 46. The lower end 54 of each element 48 is bent upwardly to form an upwardly directed hook, the function of which will presently appear. The cross members 50 are suitably secured to the elements 48, as by welding or soldering, and straddle the laterally spaced vertically extending elements 48. More specifically, the opposite ends 56 of each cross element 50 is formed into a downwardly directed hook in c'ontradistinction to the upwardly directed hooks 54 provided at the lower ends of the vertical elements 48. The lower hooks 54 serve to lock the ottoman 10 with the seat 36 in horizontal condition thereof for utilization as a backless or bench type seat. More specifically, and as best shown in the broken line position of the seat 36 in Fig. 4, it will be noted that the forward .end of the seat rests on cross member 26 and the hooks 54 engage under the lower strut 24 so as to releasably lock the seat member 36 in its closed or seat definingposition. However, when it is desired to utilize the ottoman 10 as afootrest in connection with a-convenfrom the lower strut 24 by pivoting the assembly 46 outwardly-of the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 2 and in broken line in Fig. 4.' With the hooks 54 disengaged from the strut 24, the seat 36 maybe pivoted about the strut134 as illustrated in Fig. 4. In order to releasably retain the'seat 36 in a desired adjusted or oblique footrest position thereof, the associated pair of hooks 56' of the assembly 46, adjacent the upper strut 26 for the desired degree of tilt of the seat 36 are engaged on the strut 26. In the present embodiment, the seat 36 may be adjusted to three different tilted or foot-rest positions thereof above its seat defining position as shown in broken line in 4.

In the full line position of the seat 36, the lowermost pair of hooks 56 are engaged on the upper strut 26 to represent the maximum tilted position of the seat 36, it being understood that when the intermediate set of hooks 56 engage on the strut 26, the seat 36 will be lowered to an intermediate tilted position and with the uppermost hooks 56 engaged on the strut 26, the seat 36 will be in its minimum tilted or adjusted position. With the seat 36 in its lowermost or closed position, it will be noted that the three sets of hooks 56 extend between the struts 24 and 26 with the bottom hooks 54 engaged under the strut 24.

Referring now to Figs. 6 through 8 in detail, there is .shown an ottoman 10A which is similar in all respects to there is now provided two additional struts 58 and 60 which are equally spaced between the struts 24 and 26 and which are secured, in the same manner as the latter, to the paired legs 18-48. In the present embodiment, the detent or retainer assembly 46A is similar in all respects to the previously described retainer assembly 46 except that provision is made for one cross member 50 only between the vertical elements 48. Only the lowermost cross member 50 is retained, the two upper cross members 50 being obviated in the detent assembly 46A. The vertical elements 48A are slightly changed from the pre viously described vertical elements 48 in order to permit the hooks 56 on the detent assembly 46A to engage any of the three upper struts 26, 58 and 60. More specifically, and as best shown in Fig. 7, the vertical elements 48A are provided with previously described confronting pivot portions 52 which are offset or curved outwardly, as at manner as the ottoman 10, the locking hooks 54 being released from the lower strut 54 in order to tilt'or pivot the seat element 36. Thereafter, in order to retain the seat 36 in a desired adjusted or tilted position thereof, the single pair of hooks 56 are engaged over the strut at the desired level above the lowermost strut 24., For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the seat 36 is in the maximum tilted position thereof, with the single pair of hooks 56 engaged over the uppermost strut 26.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, there is illustrated an ottoman 10B pursuant to an additional modification. The ottoman 10B is similar in all respects to the previously described ottoman 10 except for the construction of its detent or retainer assembly 46B. More specifically, in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, the previously described hooks 56 of the retainer assembly 46 are formed integral with the vertical elements 48 thereof. As here shown, the vertically extending elements 48B of the retainer assembly 46B are provided with thepreviously described confronting pins 52 engaged within the brackets 44. However, each hook 56A of the detent assembly 46B is formed, as best shown in Fig. 10, by bending the material of each member 46B back upon itself to form the three vertically spaced hooks 56A, and the lower end of said element 46B is provided with the previously described bent up hook 54. A single cross member 64 extends between and is engaged to the vertical elements 48B so as to constitute a hand grasp for manipulating the detent assembly 46B. In all other respects, the ottoman 10B is similar to the ottoman 10A and functions in exactly the same manner so as to constitute either a backless or bench type seat or an adjustable foot rest for use with a conventional chair C.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the'appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An ottoman bench comprising a base and a foot rest member pivotally mounted on said base and adapted to lie in a horizontal position or in a tilted leg-supporting position; the base being a unitary framework adapted to provide a suitable support and comprising a pair of front legs, a first horizontal cross member connecting and rigidly uniting the front legs, a pair of rear legs, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal cross members extending between and rigidly uniting the rear legs, a substantially horizontal member extending from a front leg to a rear leg on each side of the ottoman bench and connecting and rigidly securing the two pairs of legs; the pivot mounting of the foot rest member being underneath the foot rest member and uniting the latter to the first named horizontal cross member; rigid brace means pivotally mounted at its upper end on the under side of the foot rest member at the rear of the base, and means on said rigid brace means for partially embracing and seating, selectively, on each of a plurality of said vertically spaced horizontal cross members, respectively, said seating means being manually engageable with and releasable from the selected horizontal cross member, and the rigid brace means being of such length as to support said foot rest member in said tilted position when said seating means is seated as aforesaid, said brace means also having a part releasably engageable with one of said vertically spaced horizontal cross members for releasably preventing substantial upward pivotal movement of said foot rest member when the latter is in said horizontal position.

2. An ottoman bench adapted to be positioned adjacent the front of a chair, and comprising a base and a foot rest member pivotally mounted on said base and adapted to lie either in a horizontal position or in a tilted legsupporting position; the base being a unitary framework adapted to provide a suitable support and comprising an open frame having a pair of front legs, a first horizontal cross member connecting and rigidly uniting the front legs, a pair of rear legs, a second horizontal cross member connecting and rigidly uniting the rear legs, a substantially horizontal member extending from a front leg to a rear leg on each side of the ottoman bench and connecting and rigidly securing the two pairs of legs, said foot rest member having an upper padded surface, and the pivot mounting ofthe foot rest member being underneath said padded surface and uniting the latter to the first named horizontal cross member, rigid brace means pivotally mounted at its upper end on the under side of the foot rest member at the rear of the base, and means on said rigid brace means 'for seating on the second hori-' zontal cross member atthe rear of the base, said seating means comprising a plurality of vertically spaced transverse parts selectively engageable with and releasable from the second horizontal cross member to support said foot rest member in adjusted tilted position'when said seating means is seated on said second cross member,

said seating means being manually engageable with and releasable from said second cross member by pivotal movement toward and away from said second cross memher at the outer side of the frame and being gravity biased into engagement with said second cross member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 75,371 Kannaka May 29, 1928 D. 131,473 Thelander May 3, 1942 470,688 Lee Mar. 15, 1892 663,632 Mack Dec. 11, 1900 6 McAnelly Feb. 28, 1905 Barber June 20, 1905 Rundgren et al. Mar, 29, 1927 Roth Jan. 25, 1949 Rivercomb Sept. 4, 1951 Westcamp July 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 10, 1930 OTHER REFERENCES Interstate Metal Products, advertising circular, Bench Hamper 1,422. 

